Things Happen
by Silver Tongue Joe
Summary: A series of tragic and confusing events have left a rift in the Digidestined. What's going on with Davis? Can they help him, or is he too far gone? Daikari, T for language and themes, sort of fast paced but good overall! Please R R!


**A/N: Here's another excuse for me to avoid my writer's block for The Dark One. I wanted to paint Davis in a darker light than I usually do. Uh warnings for gang references I guess, please enjoy and review!**

 **Davis, Kari and TK: 16**

 **Tai, Matt, Jun and Sora: 19**

 **Ken and Yolei: 17**

 **Cody: 13**

 **Disclaimer: I used to own Digimon, then I woke up to reality.**

 **Things Happen**

 _It's been four years after the defeat of Malomyotismon, and life has been a whirlwind for the Digidestined. Between the press and their interest in the heroes how saved two worlds and the personal growth of each member, life has set them on many paths. Kari, TK and Yolei, with their combination of looks, smarts and personality, had migrated to the top of the social pyramid. Matt and Sora had split up, and Sora had gotten with Tai while Matt had relented and gotten with Jun (although he was very happy with her). Ken had become a member of the youth national soccer team, and was dating Yolei. Cody had tested for early acceptance into High School, and was in the same class as TK, Kari and Davis. As for Davis...well that's were things got complicated. His mom had been tragically killed in a car accident two years ago, and since then Davis hadn't quite been the same. He started skipping school, and began to run with the rough crowd. He still tried to hang out with his old friends, but they began to see less and less of him outside of school (when he decided to show up). We find ourselves on a street with a few of the Digidestined on their way to school, but something is amiss..._

"I'm telling you Kari, you have royally screwed yourself on this one." Kari groaned for what felt like the millionth time that morning as she and TK walked to school together, Yolei beside them, frowning at Davis. "Yeah, I'm with TK on this one Kari, you've _really_ messed up." Kari just threw her hands in the air "Thank you, _very_ much for reminding me guys, AGAIN!"

"Just saying Kari, I called Ken this morning and he said that Davis wouldn't even pick up the phone" Yolei said with a frown.

"Matt said that he hasn't said a word to Jun or their dad either" TK added, scratching his chin.

Kari was about to respond when Cody came running up behind them. TK frowned "No luck then Cody?"

Cody shook his head "He wasn't even going in the direction of school. I mean he was in his uniform but I don't think he's got any intention of being there today."

Kari was about to run back in the opposite direction when TK caught her by the collar saying "Don't _even_ think about it missy. If you really think skipping school to search all over town just to find nothing is a good way to get his attention, you really are as hopeless as he is."

Yolei nodded, looping an arm with Kari's to help TK drag her along "Besides, he's way too hard headed to just snap out of it and just be okay with what happened, Kari. He's clearly not happy with what you said."

Cody just raised his brow "Okay, I've been _very_ patient, but will someone _please_ tell me what the hell you said Kari?"

At that the other three all exchanged a look before Kari just sighed and shook free of TK and Yolei, silently walking off to school. Yolei took off after her, and TK muttered to Cody "I'll tell you later buddy, let's just go to school now." Cody nodded, and TK sighed, thinking of how this mess had started.

 _The Previous Day, Odaiba High School_

 _Kari was mingling with her classmates in the back of the classroom during lunch, and TK was sitting opposite her, laughing at whatever joke their friends were telling. It was at this moment that Seiko asked Kari "Seriously Hikari, when are you and Takeru gonna get together? It's so obvious." Although many of the others nodded their heads in agreement, TK just groaned "Oh for love of the Digital World you guys, just stop it! Kari's like my twin, us dating would be so super weird!"_

 _Seiko sighed "It's so sad. Oh well, at least with you around we know Kari won't end up with some no talent loser. Like that Motomiya punk for example. Remember when he had that annoying crush on you Hikari?"_

 _TK glared at the girl "That's enough. Remember that without Davis the entire world would have been destroyed Seiko."_

 _Seiko merely waved a hand at TK, not noticing Davis enter the classroom. He had come only because Kari had gone out of her way to try and get him back into school on a regular basis, and the goggle head's crush on the girl may have vanished, but in its place he felt something much stronger. However, everything seemed to fall apart at Seiko's next question: "Oh relax Takeru. He may be a hero, but he still skips school and hangs out with Taka's crew. I mean come on, that guy's turned into such a loser, right Hikari?"_

 _Kari began to panic when she noticed all eyes were on her, and although she wanted to scream how wrong Seiko was, to reveal the feelins she kept buried inside, but instead, she caved to the pressure of not wanting to rock the boat, and said "Yeah, for real. Totally."_

 _"Good to know, Kamiya" a tense voice said from behind her. Kari recognized it instantly, whirling around to see said boy just standing in the doorway, a look of betrayal, disbelief and disappointment in his eyes. He immediately turned around and left as the gossip started, and Kari, who felt like a deer in headlights, didn't even move as TK dashed out of the room calling his friend's name._

 _The Present, Odaiba High School, Midday_

"So no one's seen him today?" Kari asked disappointedly.

"What do you expect, Kari? The guy's really hurting inside" Yolei replied as she ate her lunch with Kari, TK and Cody on the roof.

"Hrn. I think you'll be lucky if he ever even looks at you again, honestly" Cody muttered, very unhappy with Kari's treatment of the boy who had been like an older brother in recent years for Cody, protecting the younger boy from bullies and helping him process the sudden death of his grandfather.

TK frowned "Chill out, Cody. Kari didn't mean what she said."

Kari sighed "But I still said it. Cody's right, I 100% betrayed Davis' trust."

Yolei nodded "Basically. I mean come on, Kari. I know you suck with peer pressure but you really need to assert yourself better. You were doing fine until you stopped hanging out with Davis."

"Yeah, why did you stop hanging out with him? The two off you were getting pretty close until..." TK trailed off, not wanting to touch on a delicate subject.

"Until his mom died" Kari finished for him, deflating again.

Yolei and Cody exchanged a look, and TK frowned "Well...why?"

Kari shook her head "He stopped talking to me. To anyone, really. I dunno, it's like for some reason he couldn't hndle being himself anymore."

"Well I, for one, am super worried about him. You know what Taka's gang does. They're one of the bigger groups in the area after all, and they're known for dealing in drugs and robbery" Yolei said, worry etched on her face.

TK cringed "Please don't remind me. If Ken can't even get through to him I don't know what we're going to do."

Cody frowned "Maybe we could try talking to him at the meet-up next week."

Yolei sighed "If he even shows up."

Kari looked at them, determination in her eyes "He'll be there. He never misses the meet-ups, ever. He's still Davis, underneath it all."

TK shook his head "I hope so, Kari. I really hope so."

 _One Week Later, East Odaiba Park_

"It's been so long since we've all hung out like this" Tai said contentedly, sitting against a tree with Sora snuggled up into his side.

Matt nodded, Jun resting her head on his shoulder "No kidding. It's nice not having to deal with all the Digital World drama and still get to be together for a day as a group."

Izzy, Joe, Mimi and Willis nodded. "It's good to be able to visit you guys too. I mean, seeing these nerds and sexy lady on a regular basis is fun and all but having a chance to chill with my main dudes is awesome" Willis said with a grin, earning him a slap across the back of the head from Mimi. Rubbing his head, Willis asked "By the way, does anyone know if Davis is coming?"

TK shook his head "I dunno, maybe. He hasn't been at school the past week so it's hard to tell."

Jun looked down sadly "I just wish he'd talk to me, it's weird not having him around."

"Oh please, stop being dramatic sis" a voice said from across the park.

Jun's eyes went wide, and everyone whipped their heads around to see Davis approaching them. What they saw, however, wasn't exactly what they were expecting: He had cut his hair short, and his goggles hung loosely around his neck. He wore a pair of ripped black jeans with a plain white t-shirt that had a hawk's head in a deep crimson painted on the back, the symbol of Taka's gang. He had bandages on his hands, presumably to hide bruised knuckles, and a butterfly clip over his right eye. The outline of a tattoo could be seen under the white cloth of his right sleeve, and his left ear was pierced at the top with three studs. All in all, he looked completely different than he used to. Still, he flashed his signature smile at Tai, Sora, Matt and Jun, giving the others a wave "Sup guys."

Mimi looked at him in shock "Davis, what the hell happened to you?"

He shrugged, pointing to the butterfly bandage over his right eye "If you mean this, then it's nothing to worry about, got into a disagreement with some guys a couple days ago. That's all."

Tai frowned at him, but chose to let it go "Well so long as you're alright I guess. Here, come join us, Ken and Yolei went off to buy drinks."

Davis shrugged, plopping down next to TK. "Sup dude!" Davis said with a grin.

TK grinned back at him, albeit forcibly, and replied "Not much man, it's been a while since I've seen ya."

Davis waved a hand nonchalantly "I've been busy, that's all. Besides, somehow I get the feeling those jerks that hang all over you don't care much anyway."

Matt raised a brow and TK frowned "Davis...you know I would never..."

Davis smiled at him, patting his back "Hey, I heard you defending my sorry ass TK. We're all good."

* * *

Kari had gone with Ken and Yolei to grab some snacks and drinks, and as they returned to the park her stomach was in knots. Tai had texted her to let his sister know that while Davis had shown up, she needed to be prepared for a big shock. That's what she got when she saw his appearance, right down to the studs in his left ear. She gulped nervously, and approached him carefully, saying "Hey there Davis, glad you could come."

Davis' smiled vanished, and his jaw clenched, as he responded "Hello Hikari, nice to see you."

Tai and Matt's eyes went wide, and they exchanged a very confused look, nodding in agreement to talk about it later. They knew something had happened based on what Jun had told them a few days ago, but had no idea it was something to do with Kari. Kari herself cringed at his use of her full name, internally screaming at herself for breaking his trust so completely. As she sat beside Sora and Tai, Kari thought back to when everything had gone so horribly wrong...

 _Odaiba City Cemetery, The Day Of Mrs. Motomiya's Funeral_

 _The service wasn't long, and that suited Davis just fine. He'd been hiding his pain ever since the accident, and he wasn't sure he could keep his emotions buried if he had endure a long ceremony. He had become so numb, so unfeeling in the past few days, and that was alright with him. He missed his mom dearly; she had been so kind and helpful and considerate of how the media attention had gotten to him. 'Miracle Boy' they had called him. Well right now he didn't feel like much of a hero. He stood staring at her gravestone, letting himself think of all the times his mom had saved him from giving in and breaking down. All the times she kept encouraging him not to give up on his feelings for Kari. Jun and their father had retired to the reception, leaving Davis to his thoughts. He was brought out of them when Kari came and stood next to him, gently taking his hand in hers. They stood like that for a long time, not saying a word._

 _Things between the pair had gotten so complicated in recent months, the line between friendship and romance becoming incredibly blurred, and neither one was sure where they stood. Eventually, Kari spoke up "You should come join us inside, you'll catch a cold out here alone." Davis remained silent, and Kari inched closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. What he said next, however, threw her for a loop; "We need space, Kari."_

 _She looked at him with wide eyes, confusion and hurt swirling in her light brown orbs "What do you mean?"_

 _Davis sighed, gently removing his hand from hers, saying "I'm no good Kari. I'm not what you need, I never will be. I wish I was, but..."_

 _Kari began to tear up "Davis that's not true, you're my friend, and I want to be more than that, don't you see?"_

 _He just shook his head "I'm not going to let you drag yourself down by being with me. I'm sorry." With that he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, before turning and walking away, in the opposite direction of where everyone was, to be alone in solitude._

 _Kari watched him leave, before breaking down into tears, which is how TK found her 20 minutes later. She hugged her best friend tightly, whispering "TK...he's gone, Davis is gone. I don't think he's coming back."_

 _TK sighed, trying to soothe the girl "He just needs time Kari, you'll see. He'll be alright, just give him a little space."_

 _Present Day, East Odaiba Park_

Kari sighed as she watched the boy she loved interact with their friends. He hid it well, but Kari could tell just by his eyes that he was hurting inside. He'd always done that, buried his emotions and locked them away to make his friends happy. But she knew the truth, she'd seen it that day in the cemetery. Deep down, Davis was slowly losing himself to his pain. She studied him carefully, noticing how he seemed to ignore everyone's blatant stares at his new attire, and the studs he had in his ear. They weren't there the week before, of that Kari was sure, but she wasn't going to say anything about it. After all, that would only cause trouble.

"Motomiya!" a gruff, aggressive voice yelled from the park's entrance. Everyone looked over to see Taka, the notorious local gang leader, standing there, flanked by a few of his lackeys. Davis frowned, and called out "What's the problem boss?"

Taka waved a hand "I need my right hand, we got a 'meeting' to get to, so let's go!"

All eyes were on Davis again, but this time what they saw scared the Digidestined. Davis' face was totally void of any emotion, and his eyes were suddenly dull as he steeled himself for what was clearly going to be a confrontation with a rival gang. He slowly rose to his feet, staring hard at Taka before saying to the others "Sorry guys, I gotta go. Was good to see you guys again though, hopefully I'll catch you before you go back to America, Willis." With that the crimson haired boy got up, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and marched over to Taka, who placed a hand on Davis' shoulder as they walked off.

Tai was the first to speak after they left, a frown on his face "Alright, that tears it. I don't know what's going on with Davis, but we need to help him."

Sora shifted nervously "Still...did you see him Tai? I mean, he seems pretty far gone to me..."

Jun began to sob silently into Matt's shoulder, and said blonde clenched his jaw, saying firmly "Doesn't matter. We owe it to him to at least try."

Ken nodded "He saved me from myself, time to return the favor."

Yolei tapped her chin thoughtfully "The trick is to figure out why he started running with Taka's crew anyway. It's so weird, I can't imagine he joined willingly, I mean did you see the look on his face when Taka told him to get his ass in gear? It was so...strained. Like he didn't have a choice."

Cody nodded firmly "Yeah, no kidding. But at the same time, he always seems content nowadays, like he's okay with how his life has turned out."

Kari scoffed "Come on, it's obviously an act. There's no way our Davis would ever join someone like Taka without a damn good reason."

TK raised a brow "How about the death of his mother?"

That earned total silence from the group as they mulled over his words. He sighed, and continued "What if he was lashing out at first, but then realized he couldn't go back?"

Tai scratched his head "I mean not that it doesn't make sense or anything TK, but what in the hell could have happened?"

 _Northern Odaiba, an Abandoned Junkyard_

"So now that we've taken care of your boys, why don't you just hand over the location of your stash and we'll be on our way" Taka sneered at the older boy in front of him, surrounded by the beaten and bloody bodies of the Osaka Gang. Davis stood behind Taka, panting as he rubbing his sore knuckles, wincing at the pain in his gut. The Osaka crew's leader just scowled at Taka, and spat at the younger boy's feet "Go to hell, brat."

Taka chuckled evilly, looking over his shoulder at Davis "Motomiya, c'mere."

Davis, shaking off the pain in his hands, walked over to his leader, who threw an arm over Davis' shoulder, saying to the older boy before them "I'm sure you're familiar with my right hand man, Daisuke 'The Devil's Fist' Motomiya, right? Of course you are, he just kicked the collective ass of your entire crew." The Osaka leader's eyes went wide, and he scooted back in fear. Taka laughed "Now that you understand the position you're in, why don't you tell me where that stash is, huh? I'd hate to have Motomiya here do something you that might not heal."

After a very brief moment of hesitation, the young man said quickly "There's a warehouse about five mile from here, an old toy factory. There's an office on the second floor, and a safe behind the painting on the wall. The code's 12-34-19-05. Please, just...let me go."

Taka smirked, turning to leave, stopping only to whisper in Davis' ear "Teach this squealer to keep his trap shut. Then come meet us at the warehouse. Remember, Motomiya: if you want to keep your friends safe this is how it has to be."

Davis just clenched his jaw and nodded, walking slowly towards the Osaka leader. The older boy cowered as Davis stalked closer to him. Davis reared his fist back, and a loud thud followed by a cry of fear filled the area.

 _Outside_

"Are you sure keeping that brat is a good idea, boss?" Jinta asked Taka as they walked into the street.

Taka grinned "Oh please, I've got the guy by the balls Jinta."

Jinta raised a brow "You've said that before, Taka. What do you mean?"

Taka cackled "That kid's got such a bleeding heart it's hilarious. All I had to do was threaten that girl he likes so much and _boom_ he was in."

Jinta scoffed "You mean that bitch Hikari? Wow, that's low even for you Taka."

Taka shrugged "Results are results. Our profits have shot up since we recruited Daisuke to make our enemies feel the fear."

Jinta nodded skeptically "Yeah, but rumor has it he overheard Hikari calling him a loser or something. It's way he got his ear pierced finally. I think. I mean did you see the way he smacked those goons today? That was pure rage he was venting Taka, we should be careful with him."

Taka nodded "Agreed, but for now he's our meal ticket, so we'll keep using him. Hehehehehehehe..."

 _Back Inside the Junkyard Office_

"Please, I'm begging you! Don't do it!" the Osaka leader begged, squeezing his eyes shut tight in fear. However, the blow never came, and his eyes flew open after he heard a heavy thud beside him. His eyes went even wider when he saw that Davis had punched the wall beside him, blood pouring out of his broken fingers. He glared at the other boy, and said in a final tone "GO. NOW." Not needing to be told twice, the shamed leader of the Osaka Gang sprinted out of the office and away from the junkyard. Davis sank to his knees, gripping his hand tight, a few stray tears trickling down his cheek as he said in pain "...Kari."

 _Taka Gang Hideout, Two Days Later_

Taka sat in his chair, flanked by Jinta and a few other of his inner circle. He tapped his foot impatiently, waiting for Davis to arrive. _"Clearly he didn't get the message, so we'll just have to beat it into him"_ Taka thought to himself. He had discovered from another member of the gang that Davis disobeyed a direct order, and let the Osaka leader off scot-free. Finally, Davis walked into the room, and was immediately tackled to the ground by two of Taka's men. "Hey! Let me go!" he roared, struggling to get free. Taka sighed, looking down at Davis in disappointment "Motomiya, Motomiya, Motomiya. I'm disappointed in you, I really am." He got up at this point, walking over to Davis and placing a boot on the crimson haired boy's head. "I made you my right hand man, I offered to pay you handsomely, I even let you do what you wanted until we needed you. But then you go and betray my trust. Now you're gonna pay." At this he reared his foot back and kicked Davis as hard as he could in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He motioned for the two holding him down to proceed with the beating that followed, which lasted until Davis could barely feel anything that wasn't painful. Taka looked down at him with a sadistic grin "Boys, take him to the...brig. Jinta, take two men with you and find that Kamiya girl, I want to have a little fun with her." Jinta smirked, spitting on Davis as he and two others left the hideout.

Davis was hauled to his feet, and was then dragged down a narrow hallway towards the windowless torture chamber Taka called 'the brig.' As he was being dragged along, he thought back to Kari, and the time he had spent with her. Internally, he was waging war with his conscience.

 _Come on Davis, you need to haul ass and stop that prick Jinta!_

 _Why should I bother? All she thinks of me is that I'm a loser._

 _Quit being such a freaking baby, you wuss! Who cares what anyone thinks?! You love her!_

 _Of course I do! I love her more than anything! So bad it hurts!_

 _Then what the hell are you letting yourself be dragged by the balls to another beating?! GET UP AND FIGHT! SAVE KARI!_

Davis' eyes shot open, and summoned all his strength to elbow the goon on his right in the face, breaking his nose and knocking him out, using the momentum to kick the one on his left in the hip, leaning back before launching his fist into the punk's jaw. He wasted no time, snagging a knife from one of the lackeys and dashing out of the hideout as fast as he could, dialing TK's number off the phone he'd also taken and praying his blonde friend would pick up.

 _East Odaiba Mall_

"I better get home, guys. Tai's coming over with Sora and my mom wants me to help her cook dinner" Kari said to Yolei, Ken and TK as they left the mall.

TK cringed "Kari if you _let_ your mom cook by herself we might never see you or Tai again."

They laughed at that, and Kari raced off towards home, Yolei heading over to meet her own parents who had offered to drive her home. TK looked at Ken and asked "Want some company on your way to the station?" Ken nodded, smiling at the blonde. However, before they could make a move TK's phone began to ring. TK frowned when he didn't recognize the number, and answered cautiously "Hello?"

 **"TK? Is that *cough* you?"**

TK's eyed went wide "DAVIS?! What's wrong? Who's phone are you using?"

 **"TK, there's no time. Where's Kari?!"**

"She just left to get home, why?"

 **"Where are you guys? This is important TK!"**

"Uh, we're at the East Mall, so she's probably somewhere between here and her place, I mean it's not that far."

 **"Alright, I'm on my way, you need to find her, now!"**

"Davis, what's going on, I don't...!"

 **"TK! There's no time for this! Please, if you don't hurry something terrible might happen! I need you to trust me!"**

TK looked at Ken, and said seriously "Alright, I'll let you know if we find her, call me or Ken back if you find her."

 **"I will, and be careful TK, I mean it."**

TK put his phone away after Davis hung up, and turned to face Ken, saying "Come on, we got big trouble."

 _Nearby, an Alley Near the Kamiya Family's Apartment_

Kari cut through the back alley near her apartment, hoping to get home faster since she was already late. She raced down the alley, but was stopped when a young man stepped in front of her. She frowned, and started to back away slowly when she saw the sadistic grin on his face. She eventually whirled around to sprint off, but was stopped by two more boys around her age that blocked her exit. Before she could turn back around or call for help, however, the first one grabbed her from behind, shoving a rough hand over her mouth and pinning her against a wall. He sneered at her, leaning in and whispering in her ear "Taka would like to see you, miss Hikari Kamiya. He's very excited to meet you..."

He was cut off from finishing his sentence as a hoarse voice cried out "LET HER GO YOU JACKASS!" before a fist sunk into the side of Jinta's head, sending him hard to the ground. Kari gasped, sliding down the wall in fear before spotting a mess of crimson hair. "Davis..." she breathed, relief washing over her. Davis, however, was more focused on making sure Jinta and his cronies left and didn't come back without an army. By the time they finally ran away, Davis's face was bleeding and his knuckles were bright red and bruising, but he stood, firmly in front of Kari. Once he was sure that they had left, Davis sighed, and turned around only to be tackled by Kari backwards in a tight hug, tears falling from her face and staining his shirt. He paused for a moment, before hugging her back, saying "Are you okay, Kari?"

Kari choked back a laugh, replying "Me? You look like you just took on a Monochromon alone!"

Davis smiled as best he could, ignoring the throbbing coming from his ribcage "Worth it."

Kari teared up again, and her face fell "But...why? After I said something so horrible, you still come to my aid when I'm in trouble."

Davis shook his head, saying "I'll always be there for you Kari. You're too important to me to let you go that easily."

Kari let her tears fall freely at that point, and said in a hoarse voice "Davis, listen, I can't do this anymore. I can't not be around you, or not have you in my life, I..."

Davis cut her off by gently placing his lips on her forehead, as he had done that in the cemetery, effectively shutting her up as he said soothingly "I promise, I'm never going anywhere, ever again." Kari leaned back into him, listening to his heartbeat through his shirt, before she realized he was still bleeding. Before she could react, however, TK and Ken (with Tai and Mr. Kamiya not far behind) came tearing into the alley, Tai yelling "KARI!" As they got closer, Ken and TK stopped short, horrified by the condition Davis was in. Tai and his father kneeled down before the pair, and Mr. Kamiya immediately noticed that Davis was having trouble staying awake. Frowning, he took charge of the situation, saying "Takeru, Ken take Kari back to the apartment. Tai, help me with Davis, we'll get him patched up at home as well."

 _Kamiya Family Apartment, One Hour Later_

"I'm so sorry to trouble you like this..." Davis said, wincing as he nudged his bruised side against the arm of the couch he was on. Mrs. Kamiya shook her head vigorously "Honestly Davis, you're no trouble. You saved Kari from something terrible, if anything we should be apologizing to you."

Davis smiled weakly at her, glancing over at Kari, who was curled up against his good side, gripping his shirt tightly as if he might disappear. Mr. Kamiya nodded in agreement with his wife "We're going to go and grab some pick up food from somewhere, you just sit and relax Davis."

Once his parents had left Tai sighed heavily, sinking into the armchair in the living room, TK having left with Ken to make sure he got to the station alright. Rolling his neck, Tai said "I called Matt and Jun, traffic's bad but they should be here in the next hour or so."

Davis nodded, pulling the studs out of his ear, careful not to mess with the bandages on his face. He tossed the silver jewelry on the table, looking at them in distain. Kari just held him tighter, and Tai raised a brow "Look Davis, I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but you've always been like my little brother, and I need to know; what the hell happened to you?"

Davis sighed, closing his eyes and leaning his head back "...it all started after my mom's funeral. After Kari and I...talked..." he said slowly, as they exchanged a small look of sadness before he continued "Taka approached me, told me that if I wanted to keep you guys safe, I'd do what he asked. I was so messed up at that point, so freakin' angry. I just agreed, and joined his gang. At first it was just the occasional fight with another group, but then it turned into something so much more, and before I knew it he had me by the balls. Said if I didn't do what he told me to, he'd make me pay, and then go after Kari for good measure."

Tai grit his teeth, standing up pacing the room "And all this time, you just hid it from us? Why?!"

Davis sighed "Because I couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to you guys."

Kari buried her face in Davis' chest, and Tai walked over to place a hand on his protégé's shoulder, saying "Well then I think it's time we put Taka in his place. He won't stop coming for you, so I'm gonna go call in a few favors. You just sit tight and relax Davis, no one messes with my friends and gets away with it." With that Tai walked up the stairs to his room, dialing a number on his phone and putting it to his ear "Hey Kyo, it's Tai. Yeah, that Tai. Listen man, I need a favor. We're gonna need the whole crew so call me back once you've gotten ahold of them and I'll give you the details..."

Downstairs, Davis was trying to console a very unhappy Kari. She finally looked up, and noticed the outline of his tattoo under his sleeve. She frowned, reaching up and sliding the sleeve upwards, and felt her chest tighten by what she saw; it was simple kanji, and read 'Kiseki no Hikari.' Miracle of Light. She looked up at him, and he smiled back at her, a small blush on his cheeks. "Well, they wanted me to have something, I figured it might as well be something meaningful." Kari just shook her head, and said softly "You dummy." He raised a brow, but his eyes went wide as she leaned up and placed her lips on his. It was soft, tender, yet full of need and pent up emotions. Davis leaned into the kiss, gripping her tightly to him, as if she was the only thing that mattered to him. Once they broke for air, Kari looked at him seriously "I know I said something really stupid the other day Davis, but that will never change how I feel about you, and I'm sorry."

Davis shook his head "I put you guys through way worse y'know, so let's call it even. And for the record, I'm sorry I couldn't return your feelings that day in the cemetery. If I had...well all this stuff might not have happened."

Kari shrugged, smiling at him as she nestled back into his side "Things happen Davis. All we can do is move forward."

 **Y'know it amazes me just how many of my story ideas involve a little (more like a lot) of Daikari angst. My recurring theme seems to be Davis overhearing something, but hell, I got so many story ideas I gotta take 'em one at a time so yeah. Anyway, HUGE thank you to my story Beta, Mr. Ranger Omega One (or at least that's the name he goes by in his emails) for helping me gather my thoughts with my last few stories (although as he keeps reminding me we need to finish more The Dark One chapters...) Anyway! Time to get on with part two of this little tale (maybe a part 3, if I'm a good boy and finish my Pokémon: Digital Journey chapters on time), so for now, peace!**


End file.
